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It’s almost Valentine’s Day and chocolates are definitely on the brain on February 14th! We had a chat with our customers, The Urban Chocolatier to see why they love using Loyalzoo to show their regulars some love

Here’s our unofficial (but pretty accurate) tongue-in-cheek guide on how to be a tech-startup (or at least, look the part!).

Laidback dress code. No suits allowed! But glam-hipster is unspokenly encouraged – effortlessly stylish is the Shoreditch uniform, and Shoreditch is the (self)proclaimed centre of the British start-up world.

‘Chill-zones’ in the office. Yeah yeah, desks are all well and good. But you seriously need a beanbag. Preferable a Fatboy – but old school bean bags are just about acceptable (Our tip – they are the next big thing because they are retro!)

Activity zones in the office. As well as chilling physically, you simply Must have at least one wacky sport/game available to the employees. Ping pong is good – twister is good, old arcade games are super cool but can be anti social. TV-games are ok – as long as the games are chosen carefully – think Super Mario, not WoW. Choose with care!

Untraditional office layout. Reception area, lift, hallway offices? Pffft -that’s, like, so corporate. A true start-up would choose a cheaper space, e.g. an old factory building with exposed brickwork, high ceilings, big, industrial style windows, staircases on the outside of the building (having them inside is fine, but just a bit..expected!).

Flat structure. Start-ups and hierarchy are as incompatible as water and grease. There is only one level, no one with more power than others. At least on paper.

Pretentious coffee. Still drinking Nescafé? Throw it out and sign your office up to a barista class immediately. Start-ups drink fancy coffee. Micro roasts, aero-press, cream and aroma are all words that should go into your vocabulary immediately.

Exceptional self-belief. Start-ups have to be passionate – your product or service is the best there is. Enthusiasm and big dreams are important!

It’s not easy being a start-up. It requires a high amount of cool, chequered shirts, stylish jeans, well groomed hair, geeky-gorgeous glasses. It also requires big offices with loads of free space (for your ping pong table, duh) and a fancy coffee counter.

At Loyalzoo? We’re not quite there yet. Whilst we have tons of enthusiasm, our style is heavier on the laid-back than on the hipster-glam and we are in serviced offices. The coffee on offer is instant (but we also have builders brew). Because we’re in London the lack of space is noticeable – we have a cozy fit in the office. We don’t have games and rely on lifts to move vertically (there aren’t stairs, so this is not by choice – we’re not that lazy).

https://www.loyalzoo.com/wp-content/uploads/Funky-startup-office.jpg500750Loyalzoohttps://www.loyalzoo.com/wp-content/uploads/loyalzoo-logo-small.pngLoyalzoo2014-12-12 10:36:202014-12-12 10:40:30How To Be a Tech-Startup

Once upon a time, more specifically in 2006, two lost Scandis paced the corporate streets of London looking for the comforting foods from their long left behind native lands. ’Twas nowhere to be found, and so came the idea of Scandi Kitchen to life.

So the story goes. Today, 8 years later, the café has been up and running for almost exactly 7 years, and has become a foodie household name in London. Popular with expats and locals alike, it is a bustling hotspot just north of Oxford circus. Read more

https://www.loyalzoo.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_0583.jpg15012960Loyalzoohttps://www.loyalzoo.com/wp-content/uploads/loyalzoo-logo-small.pngLoyalzoo2014-07-01 14:00:192014-07-03 15:12:50ScandiKitchen – From Startup to Successful Business

There’s no denying that we truly live in a global village, with all of the world’s major cities thriving as cultural and ethnic melting pots. Every day in London, we can look around us and appreciate the rich, vibrant tapestry of peoples who have come from near and far to inhabit this bustling metropolis. The myriad cultures that have created modern-day London can be seen all around us, in lively Spanish tapas bars, ubiquitous Swedish H&M stores and the annual West Indian Notting Hill Carnival festivities. Read more

Everyone knows the usual stereotypes about city living: people are unfriendly, hostile and cold. This immediately conjures up the image of Londoners sitting on the tube, crammed together but no one saying a word or making any eye contact whatsoever. Some even argue that this type of isolation and anonymity is the beauty of living in a big city rather than a small town.

A city to be discovered

Well, at Loyalzoo, we have to disagree. We don’t see London as a place to lose yourself, but as a place to be discovered. All cities are filled with endless opportunities for exploration, and are built on their own urban communities—London is no different. Read more